“Mami-Approved” Dolls for Your Latina Daughter

No sooner had I taken down our Halloween decorations and removed the rotting pumpkins that I forgot to carve (in my haste to prepare for Hurricane Sandy’s crash into NYC), when I got a call from my super-organized sister, Margie, asking me what she should get my 5-year-old daughter for Christmas. This threw me into panic mode as she reminded me that we have to be strategic about where to shop for bargains. But wait! I’m still recovering from Thanksgiving.

I don’t know if you are for or against but in our case and we are Spanish, my daughters are very very fair skinned, so fair that my oldest has to buy Kanebo foundation from Japan because the American foundations are reddish undertoned and darker mostly. Surprise! there are whites among Hispanics! Even blue eyed!!!!!

I am FOR a variety of skin tones in toys and characters that reflect the diversity of our Latino heritage. Like your daughter, my father, who grew up in Puerto Rico, is originally from Spain and has blond hair and green eyes. My Mother is of African descent. My siblings who were born in Puerto Rico run the entire range of skin tones. My only issue is when the toys and characters are ONLY made to reflect people like my dad and the rest of us are not included. There is room for lots more characters on television. Although many people protested Sofia the First, for the reasons discussed, I actually bought the doll because her message of tolerance and kindness is good for my mixed child regarless of what she looks like.